Indian batter Nitish Rana produced one of the most heartfelt moments of the Delhi Premier League when he reached a half-century, he pointed to the sky and broke down in tears on the field at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Playing for West Delhi Lions against South Delhi Superstarz on Monday, Rana smashed a fifty in just 27 balls. As soon as he completed the milestone with a boundary, the 32-year-old left-hander raised his arms, looked upward and was overcome by emotion. He sat on his haunches and had tears falling down.

Nitish Rana’s mother, Satish, had passed away on August 7 after an illness. Despite the personal loss he chose to continue playing in the tournament. He wore a jersey with “N. Satish” printed on the back as a tribute to her throughout the innings. Opposition players and the umpire walked across to console him before he composed himself and resumed batting.

He finished with a terrific 60 off 33 balls that included four fours and six sixes and was the top scorer for West Delhi Lions. The rest of the side struggled and were bowled out for 169. Rana’s wife, Saachi Marwah, later wrote on social media: “Mumma is here with you.”

West Delhi Lions suffer defeat despite Rana’s half century

At the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, West Delhi Lions found themselves in a struggle despite a terrific contribution from their most experienced batter. Chasing a competitive, South Delhi Superstarz restricted the Lions to 169 all out in 19.5 overs in the 31st match of the Delhi Premier League. Nitish Rana walked out and immediately took charge. The left-hander played aggressively and smashed a 27-ball fifty and finished with 60 off 33 deliveries that included four fours and six sixes. His innings was the highlight of the Lions’ batting effort and kept them in the contest for a while.

He did not get much support around him from other batters. The rest of the lineup failed to build meaningful partnerships and the innings never gained the momentum needed to post a challenging total. South Delhi Superstarz bowled with discipline and Anshuman Hooda was the standout bowler with impressive figures of 4 for 27 in just 3.5 overs. His spell broke key partnerships and ensured the Lions could not recover once the middle order fell. South Delhi Superstarz walked away with the points and continued their good campaign.